Database management systems (DBMSs) organize the storage of data. DBMSs control the creation, maintenance and use of data structures stored in their databases. Database data structures are typically stored in memory or on hard disk in one of many forms, including ordered or unordered flat files, heaps, hash buckets, B+ trees or Indexed Sequential Access Method (ISAM) structures. Databases typically conduct database transactions by enforcing one or more of four rules: atomicity, consistency, isolation and durability. The atomicity rule requires that all tasks in a transaction must be performed, or that none of the tasks in the transaction should be performed. The consistency rule requires that every transaction preserves the integrity constraints of the database. The isolation rule requires that two simultaneous transactions not interfere with one another (i.e., intermediate results within a transaction are not visible to other transactions). The durability rule requires that completed transactions not be aborted or their results discarded.
Interface for Metadata Access Points (IF-MAP) is a protocol that provides a standardized framework for network and security devices to publish device data, such as, for example, Internet Protocol (IP) address or authentication data, to a central repository that can be used by other applications. The central repository can be used for security, asset management, discovery, or other purposes. The central repository, thus, acts as a DBMS that manages data related to network and security devices. Data published to the IF-MAP repository may be labeled with an identifier of the publisher that published the data to the repository. The IF-MAP protocol then permits a publisher to subsequently purge (i.e., delete) previously published material using, for example, a purgePublisher request. Data from the repository labeled with the publisher's identifier must be deleted in response to the issuance of a IF-MAP purgePublisher request. A publisher may desire to purge published data due to, for example, a system failure, a system re-start or a network disconnection event associated with the publisher.